Month: October 2009

This is awesome! Enjoy!

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Messiah is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.            1 John 5:1-5 TNIV

This is a good translation of this passage. It works with being “born of God” so we understand that we are not just attached to Him as in our modern adoptions. The only way into the Kingdom of the Son of His love is by birth. “You must be born again.” Spiritually we must be born of Him by allowing this action in our heart.

I realize Paul uses the “adoption” word a couple of times, but in its context (Ephesians 1:5) it is talking about the Jewish ceremony of a young boy in the family reaching manhood (bar-mitzvah). When he was given the right of authority in the Father’s business, it was know as his “adoption.” The word meant “come to maturity.” Our modern adoption practices (from the Romans originally) would never have been followed in a Jewish household. Following the customs of the eastern peoples, they would never have allowed someone not of their blood line to be a “son.” This is true among many of the eastern people today.

The real understanding of this becomes necessary in the context of blood-line (we are blood of His blood and bone of His bone – our spiritual DNA is that of our Father). Also in the context of pre-destination and authority.

I hope to have several posts along these lines. Those of you who read regularly please forgive my tardiness in posting. It is true it is a very busy season for me, but this really doesn’t take that long — just a bit of concentration. So with your prayers, I will come back soon with more explaining this understanding.

Bless you for reading!